What's The Scariest Animal: Bats, Spiders, Snakes, Or Deer?

Halloween’s scariest animals. Bats are mammals that fly. But it was Bram Stokers “Dracula” that forever linked bats to vampires on Halloween.

Like Dracula, a small number of bats species feed on the blood of animals and humans using their sharp teeth to cut into the sleeping victim. As preditors, they consume a vast number of insects and other arthropods many of which are pests to crops, forest and urban structures.

Spiders have eight legs and eight eyes and only a face a mother could love. As the victim, you are trapped while this large multi-legged, multi-eyed creature crawls slowly toward you. Many of the spider’s victims are in fact household and farm insect pests.

Like bats and spiders, snakes remain the more universal feared animals. Slithering stealthily on the ground the snake represented evil to many people. A far more impactful reason why people fear snakes is that a few are dangerous to us. But snakes have been both worshiped and reviled but in the pet world, they remain a source of endless fascination.

So who gets your vote?

If we are using the number of human fatalities or injuries caused by an animal as a measure of scariness then maybe there’s one animal missing from your Halloween ballot.

Bambi. Yes, that’s right. Bambi, the deer. Over 1.5 million accidents a year involve a motorist colliding with a deer. Over 200 people annually are killed in collisions with deer. Another 29.000 injured. The best way to keep Bambi off the list as one of Halloween’s most scariest animals is to drive the posted speed limit and don’t drive distracted.

Terry Messmer, Utah State University Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist.